Police officers from across Canada and the U.S. have travelled to New Brunswick for the regimental funerals of Constables Robb Costello and Sara Burns, who were shot and killed in the line of duty.
Seventy officers from the Police Association of Ontario are also in attendance, including Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin and Mark Baxter, the president of the Brantford Police Association. Baxter tweeted out a photo of the officers who chartered a flight to Fredericton so they could pay respects in person.
Heading to Fredericton with 70 police officers in @PoliceAssocON chartered flight to pay respects to our fallen comrades @CityFredPolice Huge thank you to @WestJet for getting us this flight pic.twitter.com/iTYZAHtmZe
— Mark Baxter (@PresBPA) August 18, 2018
Many of them were greeted at the airport by community members who volunteered to drive the officers to the service.
Touching scene at the Fredericton airport. Community members are here driving officers to the funeral service. pic.twitter.com/PKSFbq4Cy7
— Chris Boddy (@TPSChrisBoddy) August 18, 2018
Hundreds of officers walked the streets of Fredericton along with the hearses carrying the flag-draped caskets of Sgt. Costello and Sgt. Burns.
One-by-one the caskets were taken into the service at the University of New Brunswick and the caps and belts of both officers were then placed on top.
The families of Sgt. Costello and Sgt. Burns both spoke at the service about their loss.
“She was proud beyond her words to be a City of Fredericton police officer,” said Burns’ husband Steven. “She absolutely loved her job and I can remember all too often, driving in the car with her, just the two of us, and mid-sentence, she would just belt out, ‘I love my job.’”
The family of Bobbie Lee Wright, who was also killed in the shooting, held a public visitation Wednesday. They decided not have a funeral.
The other victim, Donnie Robichaud, requested not to have a visitation or funeral.
Shooting suspect Matthew Vincent Raymond has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 27.